Employers upbeat about third-quarter hiring

June 09--U.S. employers expect to maintain or increase staffing levels in the third quarter of the year, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, released Tuesday.

Of the 11,000 employers interviewed by the staffing and professional services agency, 24 percent said they plan to beef up their workforce, the strongest showing since 2008's third quarter.

An additional 70 percent said they don't anticipate changes to their staffing levels and 4 percent said they are planning layoffs.

The bulk of jobs are expected in the leisure and hospitality and the wholesale and retail trade sectors. Staffing levels are expected to remain "relatively stable" in manufacturing, transportation and utilities, and construction. Layoffs are expected to affect the financial services activities and the mining sectors.

"We are seeing the signs of a healthy labor market, with the outlook improving compared to 2014," Jonas Prising, CEO of ManpowerGroup, said in a statement. "Although there is some variance in optimism across sectors, employers are focused on growth and adding to their workforces at a controlled rate so as not to face the consequences of over-hiring."

In the Midwest, 24 percent of employers surveyed said they expect to increase staffing levels, a slight increase from the same period a year ago. Those gains could be offset by the 3 percent of firms that expect to lay off workers in the quarter.

acancino@tribpub.com